Hydraulic brake



Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES HYDRAULIC BRAKE Robert H. Blocker,

San Francisco, Calif.

Application September 24, 1935, Serial No. 41,943

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic brakes and has for its primary object the provision of an improved brake construction applicable to a rotatable member, for effectively retarding its speed 5- of rotation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved hydraulic brake embodying novel means capable of running free of all impedance when not in braking adjustment, but which may be readily adjusted to various positions whereby the path through which its liquid is forced may be restricted to varying degrees, thereby efiectively retarding the rotation of the member to which the device is applied.

. Other objects of the present invention are: To provide a hydraulic brake having a simple construction capable of affording adequate resistance to the rotatable member to which it' is applied without any appreciable wear to the oper ating parts thereof; to provide a brake construction having cooling means embodied therein; and to provide apparatus of the kind characterized which is capable of being used with rotatable members of various kinds, including vehicle wheels and clutches.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a'hydraulic brake construction embodying my invention, showing the mechanism in partial braking adjustment;

' Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the lines 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inside face of one of the end plates of the outer casing;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view of a cylindrical drum as viewed in the direction of the arrows along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 of the cylindrical drum;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cylindrical drum.

' Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates a horizontal rotatable shaft having a rotor 2 keyed as at H], thereto. The rotor is provided at its periphery with a plurality of radially disposed longitudinal slots or seats 3 within which are movably mounted a plurality of vanes or abutments 4. Each vane is mounted to slide radially, and is under tension by a spring 5 which is interposed between the inner ends of the said so: vane and its associated slot. The vanes 4 are substantially rectangular in shape and preferably have their outer side edges rounded. At the outer ends of the slots 3 are inwardly disposed longitudinally disposed projections 6 formed on 55 the rotor 2 which are adapted to engage with the enlarged inner ends of the vanes 4 and thereby wardly into engagement with the inner circum-- ferential surface of a cylindrical drum 8, which in the neutral position of the brake is concentric with the rotor 2. The drum 8 is provided with an end wall 9 having a centrally disposed opening [2 therein which is of a diameter slightly less than that of the rotor 2 thereby preventing the said rotor from passing through the said opening. The end wall 9 at points defining the outer limits of the opening i2, is provided with an inwardly beveled edge or surface, as at 42. A spiral groove or channel H is provided in the outer surface of the end wall 9 for the passage of liquid from the area or chamber surrounding the drum 8 to the central opening l2 from whence it enters the interior of the said drum. The opposite side of the drum 8 is provided with a detachable end wall l which is preferably se-- cured to the said drum by suitable threaded and screwable means. The end wall [0 has a centralopening l3 of the approximate size of opening l2, and the edge of the opening is also inwardly beveled, as at 43. The beveled edges 42 and 43 facilitate the entry of liquid into the interior of the drum 8 after it has proceeded to the central openings l2 and I3. The spiral groove or channel H in the end wall 9 tends to accentuate the delivery of oil or other liquid to the interior of the drum 8 when the latter is depressed into a liquid or oil reservoir located within an outer casing l1 coupling 2'! is provided axially on the side of the casing for securing the latter to a supporting member or device.

The drum 8 is shifted from a neutral position which is concentric with the rotor 2 to an eccentric braking position by means of suitable foot or hand operated apparatus. Positioned above the drum 8 between the latter and the outer casing I! is a roller l which is rotatably mounted on a rod a which is secured at its ends to links I5. The roller l5, the rod l 5a and the links l5 are positioned entirely within the casing 11 with the links adjacent but spaced from the front and rear end walls of the said casing. The links l5 are secured rigidly to rotatable pins which extend through the front and rear end walls of the casing.

Secured rigidly to one of the pins 25 is a lever member I5 which is adapted to be depressed by any suitable means when it is desired to apply By pressing the lever member H5 in the brake. a downward direction the roller I5 is actuated so as to shift the drum 8 downwardly intoan eccentric position withrespectjto the rotor 2. .In the lower portion of the outergcasing I1 is a quantity of oil or other liquid,.the normal level of which is indicated by the numeral IS. The quantity of oil or other liquid in the lower side of the casing may vary in accordance with diiferent requirements or conditions, so for this and other reason'sthe level, illustrated on the drawings is merely a conventional disclosure.VPositioned'in' the outer casing II at opposite sides'fof theldrurn 18 are longitudinally disposed rollers i which are a braking position. The'outer casing 11 'atopaxially mounted on the opposite front and rear.

end walls of the said casing and serveas guide means for assisting the returnof'the drum tov its neutral position afterlit has been released from posite sides thereof is provided axially with annular oil traps through which the shaft in eX- 7 "tends. 7

circular oil rings 3? and'oil' passages 34 inlthecasing serve to admit oilfrom the interior of the Positioned in the annular oil traps are l casing I1 vinto theinterior of the oil traps 30for lubrication purposes. ,The frontwall 2| of the casing I1 is provided on its inner face with radial grooves '22 which serve .to' assist,,along with the 7 spiral grooves H in the end wall 9 of the drum 8, in conveying oil or 'other'liquid toward the center of the said drum to points; where it may. enter through the opening. I2 in the saidside wall. r r a 7 During the operation of the invention with the various parts in neutraLthe oil lying between the drum 8'and the rotor 2 will be freely carried around by the vanes 4. To apply the brake the dnnn-.isshifted to an eccentric position thereby contracting or reducing the space portion, designated' as A, between the drum and'the rotor into a tapered: or gradually narrowingsection which tapers, or narrows in l the direction of rotation of. the rotor. The oil upon enteringthe drum 8 through the. central end openings 12 and I 3 substantially fills the space" between therotor 2; V p and the cylindrical walls of said drum. Asthe r nated by the letter BinFig. 1) isicarried by the rotating vanesdupwardlvfind intothe reduced l and tapered space, designated: by the letter A, and.

oil contained in thelower'enlarged' space (desigsince the said oil visnon-compressible, there will be a wedgingof the oil between the periphery of the rotor 2 and the inner surface of the cylin-l drical side wallof the drum- 8, thereby effecting a,

braking or retarding action to'the rotor and the shaft 1 to which the latter is secured. The force of the braking action will be'proportionate tothe movement of the drum 8' from its neutral position, i 1 thus thegreater the restriction of the space A, the

greatertheresistancelto the flow. of the oil the re through, and the greater th'ereby isrthelbraking effect upon the rotatingmembers "which" carry the oil through this restrictedvspacer 1 Upon releasing the brake. actuating mech'a the drumtwill move back to a concentric V position with the rotor'2, and during such move-o. V,

ment the rollers 75! will;assist in guiding it-into such position. When th'erelis no external brak ingforce appliedtothedr'um'8 to. move it from its neutral positiongthe equalizing pressures :of

the springs 5 and the centrifugal force applied, to the oil as it iscarried around by the vanes A, tend-to maintain the "said drum in a concentric position with respect to the rotor 2. When-in a neutral position'the roller"! 5 as W611, as the rollers 5Iwil1'have a very slight clearance with respect shifted position. 7 I

)3; In a hydraulic brake; a cylindrical casing 7 having end walls, a cylindrical drum positioned in the casing inspaced relation to but normally concentric thereto, end walls on the drum have ing axial openings, one'of said end walls havingspiral grooves on its 0 to the outer circumferentialsurface of thedrum 8, thereby offering noresistance of the shaftl. 7 The outer casing ll is provided with a plurality of cooling fins 3! which tend to quickly dissipate the heat generated in the device.

to the rotation 'Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In a hydraulicbrakQan outer casing, a cylindrical drum positioned concentrically in the casing having end walls which are provided with axial openings for the passage of fluid into the. o

drum, a rotor positioned in the'drum in spaced but normal concentric relation thereto, a plurality of radially disposedblades yieldably carried by the rotor, the said blades engaging with the inside suriace of the cylindrical walls of the' drum, and means for shifting the drum to an V geccentric position with respect to the rotor, V V Y a 2 In a hydraulic brake, a cylindrical casing. I

having cooling fins extending externally there: from and end walls provided with axial shaft casing in spaced relation to but normallyconcedtrio thereto, end walls on the drum each hav-' q ing axial openings for the passage of liquid from openings, 'a'cylindrical drum positioned in the the area outside the drumto the inside of thelat- .ter, a rotor positioned in the drum in'spaced but normal concentricprelation thereto, the said and roller means at opposite sides of the druni 'forrguiding the latter back'torits normal concen-Z;

tric position after it has been releasedjfrom 1a uter side for conveying liquid to the axial opening in the last mentioned end wall, a'roto-r positioned in the-.drumin spaced 7' rotor being normally secured to arotatable shaft extendingaxially into the casing, a plurality oi "bllfiIlOllllBJ concentricrelation thereto, the said 5055 blades yieldably carried by the I'OtOI'giIld extend-: 1 o ing axially from the latters periphery, with their 7 j outer ends engaging with the cylindrical wall ;of-'

theidrum, andmeans for shifting thedrum .to an r 7 eccentric position with respect to the rotor. 4.1m a hydraulic brake, a cylindrical casing having end walls; a cylindrical drum in the casing, spaced from and normally concentric there with; a cylindrical rotor in the drum, spaced from but normally concentric therewith, the said drum and rotor defining an annular V chamber yieldably extending V rotor and engaging with thecylindrical wall of the drum, the said blades diyiding the annular chamber extending around; the; rotor into 7 sections; a shiftable roller mounted in the casing; :for'en'gaging: with the-Yperiphery of the drum; and' mean's connected to the roller and extending'f r I externally o'f the casing for shifting the roller so the drum may be also shifted to an eccent'ric 7 extending. around the rotor; peripheral blades;

from the periphery oftthe.

position with respect totherotor, whereby certain of the chamber sectionsmay be reduced from 7 their normal size andshape. o

., ROBERT H. BLOCKER. V a 

